Hati Returns
by Shadow Priestess Trinity
Summary: This is just my take as a WoW hunter on Hati from the end of Legion to BFA in a short story.


Hati Returns

World of Warcraft/My Hunter

Disclaimer: I do not own World of Warcraft or any lines from the Hati cut scenes/quests. I suppose my toon is sort of mine.

AN: This is just something I had to write after getting Hati back and seeing that touching cut scene between my Hunter and Hati. I took liberties on the questline and adjusted some of it to make it more story like. I figure it's my toon, my story so I can. I don't know if this is any good I just felt the need to put the game play into words. I suppose this is more of a rough draft than anything but I wanted to write it.

* * *

I once wielded the famed weapon Titanstrike. A marvelous weapon for sure but the true gift was Hati. I will never forget when he saved me from the power of the Thunderspark when I was fighting alongside him and Thorim to retrieve the gun from that vile woman who thought to rule her people with the power inside of it. When I saw him lying there after taking the brunt of the explosion, words fail to describe how distraught I felt. Luckily an image Mimiron had suddenly appeared and I immediately hoped he could save Hati.

_Flashback  
__An Image of Mimiron appears._

_Image of Mimiron says: He is alive, but only barely. It appears this noble companion absorbed Titanstrike's energy, protecting us from the explosion._

_Image of Mimiron says: Even though Hati is a creature of lightning magic, his body can't contain such intense power. My science cannot help him. I fear the Thunderspark's power is soon to be lost._

_Thorim says: I know your heart aches at Hati's loss, Natalia, just as mine does. You have a kinship with the spirits of wild creatures greater than any I have seen before._

_Image of Mimiron says: Wait... that's it, Natalia. If you bind Hati's spirit to your own, you can channel the power back into Titanstrike! You'll save Hati and restore the gun!_

There was hope. I could offer Hati a bond to tie our spirits together. If he accepted I could save him. I knelt before the beautiful lightning wolf and attempted the bonding spell. I had no reservations about having this magical creature as a life-long companion.

You see we Beastmaster Hunters do not just have pets. We bond with them on a magical and spiritual level. It is a voluntary bond between the both of us that will also benefit the both of us. This deeper connection we would create would not only allow a type of mental communication but we strengthened each other as well.

Thankfully Hati accepted the bond and I was able to pull the Thunderspark's power back into Titanstrike. Unfortunately Hati was not only bound to me but the weapon as well. Which, in theory would have been fine if not for Sargeras and his final strike on Azeroth.

We had won. We had finally defeated the Burning Legion. But his final strike cost me my best friend. My weapon drew out the corruption and brought it into itself. And for just a little bit all seemed to be alright. My weapon had more power than ever before. But then it became unstable and slowly the corruption began to drain all the power that Titanstrike possessed. Hati suddenly became ill as my weapon lost its power.

When I realized what was happening I retreated to Trueshot Lodge to spend time with Hati in his final days. I didn't know how long we had together and I wanted to spend every moment with him. What better place to go? We spent so much time there training, playing with Gara and Skoll, bonding with other hunters and their companions, and just resting in between missions against the Burning Legion. So many fond memories even with the dire situation we were in at the time.

At first Hati was still able to move around and even wander around a bit. My heart clenched every time he faltered though. We sat underneath the tall pines and fished for his favorite food along the river that flowed down into the rest of Highmountain. He so loved Highmountain Salmon.

As my weapon lost the last dregs of its remaining power Hati grew weaker by the moment. It was unbearable to see my beloved companion suffering as his life force was stolen from him. All I could offer was words of comfort as I sat there and held my beautiful thunder wolf for the last time.

Tears of grief and bitterness washed over me as he took his last shuddering breath. The pain, the despair felt like a bottomless chasm that I could not escape from. The anger, bitterness I felt towards Sargeras, The Burning Legion, Magni, and even myself for agreeing to help save Azeroth at the cost of my best friend. Had I known the consequences would I have risked all of Azeroth for him? Was there another way?

A lot has happened since that day. We are at war once more. The people who I fought with to destroy the Burning Legion, I now fight against all in the name of what? Honor? The lifeblood of a dying world? There is no honor in this war of the factions. The planet is still dying. This war is surely leading us to the complete destruction of Azeroth. Sacrificing our weapons merely slowed it down and the greed of both sides make our sacrifice meaningless. In the midst of this bloody war a spark of hope rekindled my spirit. Out of the blue Mimiron contacted me.

_Natalia, I have wondrous news! A recent energy signature tripped several detection relays I installed after that unfortunate incident with Sargeras. I require further data to know for certain, but initial diagnostics suggest that these energies are coming from Hati! We might still be able to save him! Hati's spirit is still bound to your own, so I'll need your help. Meet me at my library in the Storm Peaks right away!_

I immediately rushed to Storm Peaks and met up with my good friend Grif Wildheart and Mimiron. Mimiron explained that while Titanstrike's power was being burned away Hati somehow severed his soul from the Thunderspark in time to avoid destruction. While it was too much to keep his physical body, his soul did not move on but was instead split in half and was still on Azeroth. I couldn't believe it not that I had much time to process it since anything Mimiron does always includes me getting attacked or something blowing up. Grif and I defeated the entities that attacked while Mimiron triangulated the pieces of Hati's soul.

Mimiron finally got it together and located part of Hati's spirit. Right there at the Temple of Storms with Thorim. I was so relieved. Not only was he close by but with Thorim. Grif and I headed straight for the Temple and were surprised by what we saw. Thorim seemed to be trapped in a field of lightning. Hati was there but something wasn't right. Both Grif and I tried talking to Hati but when he looked at us there was no recognition. I almost froze up and cried then and there. Would we be able to save him? He attacked us and we were forced to subdue him. But finally a flicker of recognition. My spark of hope returned and rested within my soul.

Mimiron then sent us to Silithus. That vile place, the location of that poisonous sword, the reason I lost Hati. When we got there, we easily found Hati but again something wasn't right. I could fee Hati's pain and anguish. I spoke softly to him hoping he might recognize me but it did no good. Grif and I yet again had to subdue him.

We finally were able to head back to Mimiron with both halves of Hati's soul stored in the Thunderspark. Supposedly Mimiron had some way to combine the two halves and restore Hati's body. I didn't want to get my hopes up. But Mimiron was a mad genius if anyone could do it he could. Though, his speech when I arrived was not comforting in the least.

_Mimiron: While you infused Hati's essence into the Thunderspark, I have concocted a flawless plan the likes of which the scientific world has never seen! I'll spare you the technical details. Just follow my instructions and Hati will be back in one piece in no time at all! ...Or we will all explode. But risks must be taken in the pursuit of knowledge and the well-being of our furry companions, wouldn't you agree?_

I of course agreed I would do anything to get Hati back. He instructed me on what to do to start the ritual and the next few moments were amazing. I placed the Thunderspark onto the console of the fusion press and then it began. I may not understand the science of it all but it was a sight to see.

Hati's soul, which looked like two giant balls of lightning, was pulled out of the Thunderspark along with the lightning magic and drawn into the stabilization field. I watched on in awe but he wasn't reforming. Suddenly I knew what to do. I went to the center of the stabilization field and drew more of the lightning magic out of the Thunderspark.

It began to work. The two balls of blue lightning reformed becoming the two parts of Hati. His soul pieces circled around me as I drew in the magic. Once I had enough I raised my arms into the air and channeled the magic into a vortex of lightning willing the two parts of Hati to become whole once again. The two parts of Hati leaped into the air and merged in the vortex knocking me across the field. As I got up one giant ball of blue lightning was before me that finally took shape and reformed Hati. I couldn't breathe. Did he remember me? Did he still want our bond?

He looked up at me. And I looked to him hoping he would come back to me. Hati made his way over to my kneeling form and bent his head down and I could feel his love wash over me. He remembered our bond and embraced it once again. He still wanted me as his partner. I embraced him and had tears of joy glistening down my face.

And now with renewed hope Hati and I will face the war of the factions together while trying to heal the planet so we may live no matter the outcome of the war.

* * *

AN: Describing grief was really hard. I thought it would be easier since I have experienced grief. The type that shatters your entire world in one moment. The moment when the news is given and that emptiness and dread that fills you. Not understanding why. The anger of the unfairness of it all. The pain so strong it makes you wonder why bother loving at all when it hurts this badly when you lose them. The pain that may lessen with time but never leaves you. Obviously I am not talking about a pet but the loss of a loved pet is still so very painful. They are family too. Anyways I thought it would be easier to write by calling on that past pain but it was still hard to describe and I am not sure I did it justice.


End file.
